editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Jackie Northam is Foreign Affairs correspondent for NPR news. The veteran journalist has more than two decades of experience covering the world's hot spots and reporting on a broad tapestry of international and foreign policy issues. Based in Washington, D.C., Northam is assigned to the leading stories of the day, traveling regularly overseas to report the news - from Afghanistan and Pakistan, to earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Northam just completed a five year stint as NPR's National Security Correspondent, covering US defense and intelligence policies. She led the network's coverage of the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, traveling regularly to the controversial base to report on conditions there, and on US efforts to prosecute detainees. Northam spent more than a decade as a foreign correspondent. She reported from Beirut during the war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006, from Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, and from Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War. She livedNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Jackie NorthamSat, 09 Dec 2017 00:20:39 +0000Jackie Northamhttp://kacu.org
Jackie NorthamOne of the world's most famous — and flashy — billionaires is being detained by the Saudi government in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal was swept up in early November, along with more than 200 other Saudi businessmen and princes, in a massive anti-corruption campaign spearheaded by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Many analysts saw it as a power grab by the young prince. Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the highest-profile Saudi figure detained in the November sweep. More than just a member of Saudi Arabia's ruling family, he is a businessman believed to be worth about $20 billion, with significant investments in many Western companies, including Citigroup, Twitter and Time Warner. He owns enormous yachts and a Boeing 747 with a gold-trimmed interior. But detaining a key international financial player of Alwaleed's stature could harm potential investment in Saudi Arabia, some analysts say. Simon Henderson, a specialist on Saudi Arabia at the Washington InstituteA Saudi Billionaire's Detention Is Making Some Investors Nervoushttp://kacu.org/post/saudi-billionaires-detention-making-some-investors-nervous
85779 as http://kacu.orgFri, 08 Dec 2017 15:43:00 +0000A Saudi Billionaire's Detention Is Making Some Investors NervousJackie NorthamThe mystery over who paid a record-breaking $450 million for Leonardo da Vinci's painting Salvator Mundi at an auction last month appears to have been solved. It turns out it's Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. That's according to U.S. intelligence officials who keep a close eye on the kingdom's young and powerful crown prince, says the Wall Street Journal . The winning bid in the November 15 auction at Christie's in New York was made anonymously by phone using a Christie's representative. The New York Times reported earlier that documents showed another member of the royal family, Prince Bader bin Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Farhan al-Saud, placed the final bid. But intelligence officials say Bader was just a proxy for crown prince Mohammed. Normally, news of a wealthy and powerful member of Saudi Arabia's royal family buying a piece of art would not raise any interest. But the timing on this purchase was notable. It came just two weeks after Crown Prince MohammedMystery Solved: Saudi Prince Is Buyer Of $450M DaVinci Paintinghttp://kacu.org/post/mystery-solved-saudi-prince-buyer-450m-davinci-painting
85756 as http://kacu.orgThu, 07 Dec 2017 23:01:00 +0000Mystery Solved: Saudi Prince Is Buyer Of $450M DaVinci PaintingJackie NorthamJust as President Trump was heading off to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for the Thanksgiving weekend, his company, the Trump Organization, announced it was severing ties with one of its New York properties. The Trump SoHo hotel had been plagued for several months by bad press and low occupancy rates. Its premier restaurant on the ground floor closed in June— the restaurant's lawyers said it had struggled since Trump was elected. The Trump name will be erased from the building by the end of the year. Not far from the SoHo hotel, another Trump building is struggling. "Recently there's been a drop-off in the resale prices of Trump Tower condos," says Tim O'Brien, the executive editor of Bloomberg View and the author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being the Donald . Trump sued O'Brien for $5 billion for saying Trump was much less wealthy than what he claims; the case was dismissed. O'Brien says what is interesting is that real estate generally is doing well in New York City, so it'sSeveral Trump Properties Suffer Financially (But Not Ones He Visits Often)http://kacu.org/post/several-trump-properties-suffer-financially-not-ones-he-visits-often
85554 as http://kacu.orgSun, 03 Dec 2017 12:00:00 +0000Several Trump Properties Suffer Financially (But Not Ones He Visits Often)Jackie NorthamWhen President Trump announced Monday that the U.S. intends to designate North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism, he said the U.S. will also announce the imposition of additional sanctions on Pyongyang. The Trump administration is increasingly using economic sanctions to try to influence behavior, but experts warn the strategy doesn't always work — and can backfire. In September, Trump announced sanctions aimed at crippling North Korea's banking system, shipping and trade networks. The administration has also been going after individuals and firms in other countries doing business in North Korea — especially in China. "The perception," says Stephen Heifetz, a Washington lawyer who has worked in both Republican and Democratic administrations on foreign investment strategies, "is that without Chinese dealings with North Korea, that would really put a squeeze on the North Korean economy." The Trump administration now appears to be inching toward punishing medium or large Chinese banksU.S. To Impose More Sanctions On North Korea, But How Effective Will They Be?http://kacu.org/post/us-impose-more-sanctions-north-korea-how-effective-will-they-be
85102 as http://kacu.orgMon, 20 Nov 2017 19:38:00 +0000U.S. To Impose More Sanctions On North Korea, But How Effective Will They Be?Jackie NorthamTrump hotels are meant to exude a sense of luxury in some of the most exciting and exotic cities worldwide. Now the president's organization is due to open a new hotel — this time in the heart of the blues-soaked Mississippi Delta. It will be the first in a new line of four-star hotels the Trump organization is creating called Scion. Merriam-Webster dictionary describes "scion" as a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family. Fitting, considering it's Trump's two sons — Eric and Donald Jr. — who are running the president's hotel business while he's in the White House. The new hotel will be in Cleveland, Miss., a small town of 14,000 in the wide-open cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta. Two interstate highways — lined with diners, auto-body shops and strip malls — dissect the town. One the far west of Cleveland, just before you hit the town limits, you can see the shell of the new hotel in an overgrown field. There's siding on the building, most windows are in, andNew Trump Hotel Set To Open In Heart Of The Mississippi Deltahttp://kacu.org/post/new-trump-hotel-set-open-heart-mississippi-delta
85103 as http://kacu.orgMon, 20 Nov 2017 19:21:00 +0000New Trump Hotel Set To Open In Heart Of The Mississippi DeltaJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch made a speech today that's getting some scrutiny not for what he said, but where he said it. Gorsuch, whom President Trump nominated to the high court, spoke at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. It's just steps away from the White House. NPR's Jackie Northam was there for the speech, and she joins us now in the studio. Hi, Jackie. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Hello. CHANG: So tell us a little bit about this speech. Who was Gorsuch addressing? NORTHAM: It was to a group called The Fund for American Studies. And it's a conservative organization aimed at developing young leaders. There were about 180 invited guests and the media. And by the way, the ground rules said we are not allowed to broadcast the speech, otherwise I would play you a part of it. CHANG: Oh, OK. NORTHAM: But let me say it was an earnest and folksy sort of speech and delivered in a rather understated way. And itSupreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch's Speech At Trump's D.C. Hotel Draws Criticismhttp://kacu.org/post/supreme-court-justice-neil-gorsuchs-speech-trumps-dc-hotel-draws-criticism
83268 as http://kacu.orgThu, 28 Sep 2017 20:54:00 +0000Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch's Speech At Trump's D.C. Hotel Draws CriticismJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit AILSA CHANG, HOST: Saudi Arabia announced today that it will overturn a longstanding ban and allow women to drive. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women were not allowed behind the wheel. The move may signal that the ultraconservative kingdom wants to improve its image. NPR's Jackie Northam reports. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: For years, the ban on women driving was held up as a sign of repression in Saudi Arabia. Every so often, a brave female tests the government's tolerance and takes to the road only to be arrested. The ban holds women back from jobs, leaves them dependent on male relatives or drivers. Now that's set to change. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Speaking Arabic). NORTHAM: This television anchor broke the news, saying, this is a day women in Saudi Arabia have been waiting for a really long time, King Salman's royal decree that any woman who wants one could get a driver's license. But it won'tSaudi Arabia Announces It Will Lift Ban And Allow Women To Drivehttp://kacu.org/post/saudi-arabia-announces-it-will-lift-ban-and-allow-women-drive
83240 as http://kacu.orgTue, 26 Sep 2017 21:36:00 +0000Saudi Arabia Announces It Will Lift Ban And Allow Women To DriveJackie NorthamTwo Freedom of Information Act requests are raising questions about President Trump's private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida: Who stayed there, how much they did they pay and who received the profits? In one FOIA action, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, an advocacy group, requested the visitors log for Mar-a-Lago. Such records would potentially show who met with or accompanied the president from January through March this year. What CREW got from the Justice Department was a list of 22 names of people who accompanied Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Mar-a-Lago in February. The list included Abe's butler and the van driver. "The remaining records that the Secret Service has processed in response to the Mar-a-Lago request contain, reflect, or otherwise relate to the President's schedules," wrote Chad Readler, the acting assistant attorney general, and Joon Kim, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a letter to CREW . Readler and KimWatchdogs Try To Get Mar-A-Lago Answers, Mostly Turn Up More Questions http://kacu.org/post/watchdogs-try-get-mar-lago-answers-mostly-turn-more-questions
82896 as http://kacu.orgFri, 15 Sep 2017 21:57:00 +0000Watchdogs Try To Get Mar-A-Lago Answers, Mostly Turn Up More Questions Jackie NorthamThere aren't any case workers manning the phones at the offices of the Human Rights Accountability Global Initiative Foundation on a tree-lined street in Wilmington, Del. In fact, there isn't anyone there at all. The foundation exists on paper as an institution dedicated to making it possible for American families to adopt Russian children, but in the world of international advocacy, things sometimes mean more than they seem. In this case, sanctions. "Whenever anybody on the Russian side says adoption ban, that's really code for the Magnitsky Act," said Seva Gunitsky, a Russian specialist at the University of Toronto. In the 2012 act, Congress punished Russians involved in the killing of a Moscow tax lawyer named Sergei Magnitsky. He had uncovered a massive tax fraud scheme involving Russian officials. The law freezes the assets and bans visas for certain Russians. Russian President Vladimir Putin was infuriated with the sanctions and he retaliated by imposing a ban on RussianBehind Support For 'Adoption,' A Web Of Clandestine Russian Advocateshttp://kacu.org/post/behind-support-adoption-web-clandestine-russian-advocates
82586 as http://kacu.orgThu, 07 Sep 2017 09:00:00 +0000Behind Support For 'Adoption,' A Web Of Clandestine Russian AdvocatesJackie NorthamThe Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., has become the place to see and be seen in the nation's capital. The opulent setting is a magnet for foreign dignitaries, lobbyists, Republican and conservative groups that want to rub shoulders with administration officials. Now, the Trump Organization's lease for the building is facing a new review by an inspector general. It's not unusual for people of similar political stripes to gravitate toward the same setting. "But we've never had a situation like this where the president's name is there on the front of the building," says Don Fox, a former acting director of the Office of Government Ethics now with the Culver Academies in Indiana. "A building by the way owned by the taxpayers, and the name is up there in big bold letters for anybody to see." The profits — from the drinks to the rooms to the parking — go back to President Trump's organization. This bothers Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, in large part because the hotelTrump Hotel Lease Under New Review As Lawmakers Keep Up Criticismhttp://kacu.org/post/trump-hotel-lease-under-new-review-lawmakers-keep-criticism
82425 as http://kacu.orgSat, 02 Sep 2017 11:00:00 +0000Trump Hotel Lease Under New Review As Lawmakers Keep Up CriticismJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: President Trump's hotel in Washington just blocks from the White House is doing better than even the Trump Organization expected. But the questions continue about whether the president should be allowed to lease a federal building for that hotel. And new questions have emerged about the public's right to know about the hotel's business operations. NPR's Jackie Northam reports. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: The Trump International Hotel has become the place to see and be seen in the nation's capital. The opulent setting is a magnet for foreign dignitaries, lobbyists, Republicans and conservative groups that want to rub shoulders with administration officials. It's not unusual for people of similar political stripes to gravitate towards the same setting. DON FOX: But we've never had a situation like this where the president's name is there on the front of the building. NORTHAM: That's Don Fox, a former acting director of the Office ofQuestions Linger About President Trump's Washington, D.C., Hotelhttp://kacu.org/post/questions-linger-about-president-trumps-washington-dc-hotel
82413 as http://kacu.orgFri, 01 Sep 2017 20:32:00 +0000Questions Linger About President Trump's Washington, D.C., HotelJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: If you've turned on cable TV lately or looked at a national newspaper online, there's a good chance you've seen dueling ads by Saudi Arabia and the tiny nation of Qatar. The ads are part of a 2-month-old feud between the Persian Gulf neighbors. NPR's Jackie Northam has more. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Qatar and Saudi Arabia have been lobbying for international support in their ongoing spat since early June. That was when Saudi Arabia and several of its allies cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, alleging, among other things, it funds terrorist organizations. It's a point driven home in this television attack ad launched by a pro-Saudi Arabia group. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: One country in the Gulf region is a threat to global security - Qatar. NORTHAM: The dramatic commercial shows fires burning, the aftermath of a bombing, and militants training. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: AQatar And Saudi Arabia Take Their Feud To The Airwaves, Internethttp://kacu.org/post/qatar-and-saudi-arabia-take-their-feud-airwaves-internet
81234 as http://kacu.orgMon, 31 Jul 2017 20:46:00 +0000Qatar And Saudi Arabia Take Their Feud To The Airwaves, InternetJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: The House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that will impose tough new sanctions on Russia for interfering with the 2016 presidential election. The bill also sharply curtails President Trump's ability to alter or lift the sanctions without congressional approval. The White House initially said the president would support the bill, but now that's not certain. NPR's Jackie Northam reports. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: President Trump did not address new Russian sanctions today during a press conference at the White House, and his communications team has sent out mixed messages whether or not he will approve the sanctions bill. On Sunday, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated Trump would back new sanctions. Here she is on ABC's "This Week." (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THIS WEEK") SARAH SANDERS: The administration is supportive of being tough on Russia, particularly in putting these sanctions in place. NORTHAM: But a lotHouse Passes New Sanctions On Russia For Interfering In 2016 Electionhttp://kacu.org/post/house-passes-new-sanctions-russia-interfering-2016-election
81007 as http://kacu.orgTue, 25 Jul 2017 20:30:00 +0000House Passes New Sanctions On Russia For Interfering In 2016 ElectionJackie NorthamIran says it has sentenced an American graduate student to 10 years in prison for spying for U.S. and British intelligence agencies. The Princeton University student was in Iran doing research when he was arrested. Xiyue Wang, 37, is pursuing a Ph.D. in Eurasian history, studying local government in predominantly Muslim regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Stephen Kotkin , Wang's advisor at Princeton, says Wang came well-prepared for an extremely ambitious thesis topic. "He had tremendous background, life experiences, linguistic capabilities, and so he entered the program and hit the ground running and developed his interests even more," Kotkin says. The fieldwork stage of Wang's scholarly research took him to Iran about a year ago, Kotkin says. Before he left, Wang called upon established scholars for information. "Everything he did is normal — absolutely everything he did is normal, standard practice for scholars in this region and elsewhere," Kotkin says. WhenAcademic Adviser Of U.S. Student Jailed In Iran: 'Everything He Did Was Normal'http://kacu.org/post/academic-adviser-us-student-jailed-iran-everything-he-did-was-normal
80725 as http://kacu.orgMon, 17 Jul 2017 21:31:00 +0000Academic Adviser Of U.S. Student Jailed In Iran: 'Everything He Did Was Normal'Jackie NorthamUpdated at 7:16 p.m. ET President Trump has spent much of the past year talking about hackers who stole emails for political reasons. But at Trump Hotels, hackers of a different sort were attacking. Starting last summer, hackers broke into the system that manages the reservation booking service for 14 Trump hotels, stretching from Washington, D.C., to Scotland to Canada to Brazil. But most of the attacks were concentrated in November — the month Trump was elected president. For example, the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., was first hacked on Nov. 7 — the day before the election. Trump Hotels' list of the hacked hotels shows that the problems began last summer at the Trump Soho Hotel in New York City and continued at different locations until early March of this year. The statement said the target was Sabre Hospitality Solutions, which provides reservations services to Trump Hotels. Sabre did not notify Trump Hotels of the breaches until June of this year, the statementTrump Hotels Again The Target Of Hackers Seeking Credit Card Datahttp://kacu.org/post/trump-hotels-are-again-target-hackers-seeking-credit-card-data
80573 as http://kacu.orgWed, 12 Jul 2017 22:37:00 +0000Trump Hotels Again The Target Of Hackers Seeking Credit Card DataJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Ivanka Trump's primary role right now may be as an unpaid adviser to her father, but she is still a businesswoman in her own right. And it appears one area she's setting her sights on is China. The first daughter has been applying for new trademarks there. NPR's Jackie Northam is just back from China, where she talked to people about Ivanka Trump and her company. WEIYI QIU: OK, we'll meet at the crossroad... XI ZHANG: ...We can walk there. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: I caught up with two young women, Weiyi Qiu and Xi Zhang - her friends call her CeeCee - on the leafy campus of Beijing's Tsinghua University. They're both studying global business journalism. They're energetic and stylish. QIU: We'll wait for CeeCee here. NORTHAM: Qiu and Zhang closely follow Asian and Western fashion trends. They've seen and read a lot about Ivanka Trump recently and have definite ideas about her. Twenty-four-year-old Zhang admires Trump for herIvanka Trump Pushes To Expand Her Brand In Chinahttp://kacu.org/post/ivanka-trump-pushes-expand-her-brand-china
80514 as http://kacu.orgTue, 11 Jul 2017 10:26:00 +0000Ivanka Trump Pushes To Expand Her Brand In ChinaJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: We're going to start the program today considering the dilemma of the tiny Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. The country is facing a deadline to agree to a series of demands from Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries. Saudi Arabia gave Qatar until Sunday evening to meet its demands, which include closing the Al-Jazeera network which is headquartered in Qatar and reducing diplomatic relations with Iran. NPR's international affairs correspondent Jackie Northam has been following all of this, and she's with us now in the studios. Jackie, welcome. Thanks for joining us. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Thank you very much. MARTIN: So just - can you just bring us up to date for people who have not been following it? What started this whole confrontation? NORTHAM: Well. There's actually been a low-grade feud between Qatar and Saudi Arabia for a number of years now, but it erupted last month when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UnitedQatar Faces Saudi Sanctions Deadlinehttp://kacu.org/post/qatar-faces-saudi-sanctions-deadline
80231 as http://kacu.orgSun, 02 Jul 2017 21:10:00 +0000Qatar Faces Saudi Sanctions DeadlineJackie NorthamThe Trump Organization appears to be making only a limited effort to live up to President Trump's promise to give the U.S. Treasury all foreign profits from his hotels and resorts, according to documents released in recent days. Trump made the promise in mid-January as a way to avoid violating the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause , which prohibits a president from accepting gifts and payments from foreign governments. The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has pushed the Trump Organization to say how foreign-sourced profits would be identified, calculated, tracked and reported. What the committee got in response was a copy of a glossy nine-page brochure that lays out the Trump Organization's policy. The pamphlet had been distributed to senior Trump employees worldwide, and it stated that it would be impractical to identify every foreign guest. It says that asking guests whether they're representing a foreign government would "impede upon personal privacy andTrump Said He Would Donate Foreign-Government Profits; Docs Suggest Limited Efforthttp://kacu.org/post/trump-said-he-would-donate-foreign-government-profits-docs-suggest-limited-effort
78887 as http://kacu.orgThu, 25 May 2017 09:00:00 +0000Trump Said He Would Donate Foreign-Government Profits; Docs Suggest Limited EffortJackie NorthamFor Sale: Spectacular Caribbean waterfront property in French St. Martin. Amenities: Swimming pools, tennis court, full staff. Owner: President of the United States, Donald Trump. This sale is the first known major divestiture of a Trump property since he became president. Trump bought Le Chateau des Palmiers about four years ago; the asking price at the time was $19.7 million. The property has two villas on five acres of land overlooking the deep blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. It can sleep up to 20 people. It's available to rent, starting at $6,000 night. Trump's personal financial disclosures from last May say the rental fees earned between $100,000 and $1 million. Now the property is on the market again. This time, it comes complete with a potential conflict of interest, says Noah Bookbinder, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, which has filed a lawsuit against Trump for violating the U.S. Constitution's emoluments clause. "It seems likeSale Of Trump Property Raises Ethical Questions About Potential Buyer's Motiveshttp://kacu.org/post/sale-trump-property-raises-ethical-questions-about-potential-buyers-motives
78342 as http://kacu.orgThu, 11 May 2017 09:00:00 +0000Sale Of Trump Property Raises Ethical Questions About Potential Buyer's MotivesJackie NorthamCopyright 2017 NPR. To see more, visit KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: There's a new property listing that just went on the market in the Caribbean. It has incredible views, sleeps 20, even includes a staff. The seller is President Trump. This would be the first sale of a major Trump asset since he became president. NPR's Jackie Northam reports. JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: The exterior views of Le Chateau des Palmiers, President Trump's resort in St. Martin, are impressive - two villas on 5 acres of land overlooking the deep blue waters of the Caribbean, with swimming pools, tennis court and grand staircases. Trump bought the resort about four years ago, when the listing price was just under $20 million. It's been available to rent starting at $6,000 a night. Now the property is on the market again, this time complete with a potential conflict of interest. NOAH BOOKBINDER: It seems like buying a major piece of property for millions of dollars is a particularly strong way to potentially curry favorEthics Questions Raised Over Sale Of Trump Caribbean Resorthttp://kacu.org/post/ethics-questions-raised-over-sale-trump-caribbean-resort
78333 as http://kacu.orgWed, 10 May 2017 20:40:00 +0000Ethics Questions Raised Over Sale Of Trump Caribbean Resort